1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
The Pastoral Musician will be an accomplished musician and a dedicated Christian; one who maintains a vital personal relationship with Jesus Christ and who encourages spiritual growth in the persons she/he works with and serves. The Pastoral Musician must also have an appreciation for the Reformed faith.
General Position Expectation for Director of Music: administers and produces all aspects of music. This would include recruitment, training, and leading a varied ministry of music for the congregation in harmony with the church's mission statement.
The Minister of Music, Worship & Fine Arts develops the ministries of music, drama, dance and the visual arts and incorporates these in the worship of the church so that the worship of the congregation is enhanced to the glory of God. This ministry ultimately helps the church fulfill her God-given vision, “to help people from our diverse community grow in their relationship with Christ and with each other.”
A Director of Music helps develop and lead the worship music ministry for the church, in consultation with the senior pastor and other team members, in a way that is consistent with the mission, values, and theology of the church community.
Your worship planning has likely been marked by a good bit of intensity in recent weeks. The season of Lent followed by Holy Week and Easter require a great deal of effort by worship planners, preachers, and worship leaders. The services have hopefully all had a consistent theme focused on the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord.
Dr. Boogaart has extended his teaching ministry outward by leading many retreats and seminars and by teaching nearly weekly in area churches. He is the author of two books and many articles in Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought, and Western's Reformed Review. Dr. Boogaart also directs Western's Doctor of Ministry degree program.
This day-long conference exploring the meaning of the Ascension culminated in a community worship service at Woodlawn CRC. The conference and service were co-sponsored by the Dean of the Chapel, Calvin College, and the Center for Excellence in Preaching.
A sermon for Ascension Day.
The prayers in a worship service constitute a very sacred time in which the corporate voice of God's people is lifted heavenward. Such efforts should never be done unthinkingly, and such prayers should never be written carelessly. Indeed, in some ways, corporate prayers require more thought than personal prayers because they must address the needs and concerns of many. Let there be careful forethought to the prayers we offer, regardless of whether we offer them extemporaneously or through written form.
The summer is a good time to draw the worship planners together to take a look at the season that is past.
In all of our worship planning the principle that the Word of God is central must guide us. Since worship is our engagement with God, our group conversation with God, the Word must figure prominently.
This service of lament and longing for God's light was held on the night of Wednesday, December 20—the night with the least sunlight of any day on the calendar in the Northern Hemisphere.
